Beating Apple, Start-Up Wins 'Mighty Mouse' Trademark

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Beating Apple, Start-Up Wins 'Mighty Mouse' Trademark

A small start-up has conquered Apple in a battle over the "Mighty Mouse" trademark.

The United States Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week granted Man & Machine, a computer-peripheral company, the trademark for "Mighty Mouse," the name of the start-up's waterproof mouse.

Apple also sells a mouse called the Mighty Mouse, a white mouse with a roller ball in the upper-middle. In light of Man & Machine winning the mark, Apple will have to use a new name for its next mouse. Conveniently, a recent rumor suggests that Apple is planning to ship a new multitouch mouse with upgraded iMacs very soon.

Perhaps Man & Machine's victory sheds a glimmer of hope on the story of Daniel Kokin, who is battling Apple over the "Pod" trademark. Kokin is hoping to sell a video projector called Video Pod, and recently the USPTO denied Apple’s motion for summary judgment, meaning the two parties must finish this battle in court in front of a judge.

As for Apple's mouse, we're going to make a random guess that the next one will be called iMouse. The iPhone delivered multitouch technology to the mainstream, and we think people would see the connection with "iMouse" if the rumored mouse is indeed multitouch capable.